David Little: Off the rails on a crazy train

I don't know if I just keep walking on the wrong side of the street or what, but it seems as if about half the time I stroll around downtown Chico anymore, I run into people who are holding animated conversations with themselves.

The most recent was last week, on my way to the university. It was 4 in the afternoon and Salem Street was fairly deserted.

A block away, I heard someone yelling, then I realized it was a woman. It sounded as if she was in a fight. I started walking quicker in case she needed help.

I saw her as she came across Third Street — in her 20s, probably, and normal looking. She was yelling something about how if you don't want to know how she is doing, then don't ask her ... only with much more colorful language not fit for a family newspaper.

It was jarring, like when I see young women who look sweet, but then turn my stomach when they start cursing like truckers or spitting like a baseball player. The difference being, those are just women with bad manners. This was someone who obviously had other issues.

What do you do?

I chose to smile wryly and keep on walking. I suppose I could have asked if she needed help, but I didn't want to interrupt her conversation with herself. If I had one of my children with me, I probably would have asked her to please watch her language. Maybe it was a good thing I was alone. That might have set her off.

I freely admit I have no clue how to deal with people and their mental issues. I normally leave them alone. They're off in their own little world and probably don't want me there.

I've been asking quite a few people lately, though: Am I the only one noticing this?

It's not just the people talking to themselves downtown or walking down East Park Avenue in front of my office, yelling at nobody. Weird things are happening.

In the past year, there have been too many stories locally of children killing mothers (three in a year), men hearing voices and holding police at bay, and a sniper killing a stranger. The usual plea in court, if the person lives through the episode, has something to do with insanity or mental illness.

I've asked City Council candidates, police officers and advocates for the homeless what is going on. Nearly everybody agrees this is odd, and things are suddenly worse. Everybody has trouble explaining it.

Theories abound, but a common one is that people who should be locked up or under mental-health care are instead out in society, often homeless, and trying to fend for themselves when they don't have the ability to do so.

Some blame prison realignment, which results in a lack of space in local jails. Some blame permissive attitudes that make Chico a welcoming town for homeless people, who disproportionately have mental illness issues. Some blame a lack of funding for treatment centers for the mentally ill. Some blame substance abuse.

There are many possible reasons and not nearly enough answer. Instead, I suspect, there are many people like me — people who, with a befuddled look, just keep walking and avoid eye contact.

David Little is editor of the Enterprise-Record. His column appears each Sunday. He can be reached at dlittle@chicoer.com, or follow him on Twitter, @ER_DavidLittle.